


illuminate

by hinabean



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Canon deviation, Found Family Dynamics, Multi, bi disaster characters, but mostly implied, minor Stingue, plenty of other characters, poly ships, rolucana as endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22060708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hinabean/pseuds/hinabean
Summary: il·lu·mi·nate | \ i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt  \transitive verb1a: to supply or brighten with light1b: to make luminous or shining2: to make clear3 : to make illustrious or resplendentEveryone has their own strongly held convictions and desires; Lucy wants to stand beside her friends and her spirits rather than depending on them to protect her, while Cana wishes for the strength to acknowledge the feelings that she buries under gallons of alcohol, and Rogue tries to be a man who cares about his friends and comrades. Together, anything can be accomplished, even illuminating the future.
Relationships: Cana Alberona/Lucy Heartfilia, Rogue Cheney/Lucy Heartfilia, Rogue Cheney/Lucy Heartfilia/Cana Alberona
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. When the Day met the Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for these characters and this fandom, and I’m really excited to see how this turns out!

This had to have been the worst headache Rogue had ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Not only was the cheering of the crowd grating on his brain, but the lights and explosions coming from the battlefield below were busy making his eyes twinge in pain. Only the commentary from Yukino kept him from sinking back into his own shadow. 

“Before I joined Sabertooth, I looked up to Lucy and the way she uses her magic,” Yukino sighed in reminiscence. “But that was before her team disappeared for so long.” A golden light shone below, and Yukino gripped the balcony railing in anticipation. The mage battling, Lucy, looked worse for wear. Her shoes, and by extension, her feet were burnt and the dust of the battlefield clung to her as she faced her opponent. But there were suddenly two of her. And the crowd collectively went wild seeing the second Lucy in only a fluffy towel.

From a space next to Yukino, Rogue’s Exceed partner Frosch made an observation, tail swaying side to side. “Fro thinks the pretty Fairy is weird,” she said with a self-assuring nod.

“That’s Gemini,” Yukino clarified, taking another breath to continue her explanation. “Gemini can copy anyone of about the same strength as the keyholder if they come into physical contact with that person, and that means that they copy looks, memories, and abilities. Lucy is increasing her magic power for a finishing move!”

Rogue nodded in understanding. _Smart_ , he thought.

The golden-haired mage held hands with her summoned spirit and the two began an incantation. Yukino didn’t seem to hear it, but with his dragon slayer’s enhanced hearing, Rogue was able to discern what she was saying.

_Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens..._

_All the stars, far and wide..._

_Show me thy appearance..._

_With such shine._

_Oh Tetrabiblos..._

_I am the ruler of the stars..._

_Aspect become complete..._

_Open thy malevolent gate._

_Oh 88 Stars of the heavens..._

_Shine!_

_Urano Metria!_

All at once, the power of the magic circle rushed through the atmosphere and the sky appeared to open, celestial bodies sent crashing into the earth below. Rogue glanced at his partner, Sting, and caught the flicker of curiosity on his face that hadn’t been present since they joined Sabertooth. Yukino softly gasped, whispering, “Heavenly body magic…” to no one in particular.

Then, just as suddenly, the magic was gone. From the slayer’s perspective, the sudden and complete disappearance of magic power was odd, given how close the spell was to completing an annihilation of the whole battlefield. Across the stands, all of the Fairies were in an uproar, recognizing that someone had interfered with the battle. Yukino was also confused, eyes darting from place to place in an attempt to analyze what had just occurred.

Out of exhaustion and overuse of magic power, Lucy fell to the ground, unable to continue fighting. Remembering that Natsu was this woman’s teammate, Rogue couldn’t help but wonder if the recklessness of Sting’s “former” idol had transferred to everyone in that guild, or if they were just all naturally that way too.

Disappointed at the outcome of the fight, Yukino sighed and turned away from her guildmates.

——

As the Games continued, Rogue found himself wondering even more frequently why he had let himself be dragged into the events. Especially considering that Sting had been dragging him into the worst events possible, like unavoidable forced motion sickness. _That imbecile._

With Minerva taking Yukino’s place on the Sabertooth team, everyone was mildly on edge, as they all knew how vicious she could be. If he hadn’t been building his impassive facade for so long, Rogue likely would have been shaking in fear at the sight of Their Lady, if only out of fear for Frosch’s safety.

If anyone watching the day’s event had doubted Minerva’s capacity for cruelty, they surely didn’t anymore. Though most of the Naval Battle participants had been pushed out of the competition by the Fairy Tail mages, Minerva waited to assert her victory until only her and the blonde remained in the water.

Heating the space around the Fairy Tail mage, Minerva unleashed attack after attack, launching the other girl to the far reaches of the battle zone, but keeping her inside the bounds of the game. Cries of agony escaped, though muffled by the surrounding water. Every dragon slayer present, however, was able to discern just how much pain the Celestial magic user was being forced to endure.

From Fairy Tail’s designated place in the stands, Wendy watched on in horror, wishing to put a stop to the torture that her big sister figure was going through. Her enhanced senses were drowning in the smell of salty tears and blood, and her tiny hands curled into tightly clenched fists as she fought against her own tears. The young sky dragon slayer tore her eyes away from the scene and flared at the huddle of Sabertooth mages. They were laughing. Heckling and laughing at human suffering, Wendy noticed with disdain. Except for one at the back of the group. He looked like he was going to be sick. _But the rest… they were amused by Lucy-nee’s suffering_ , she thought.

The dark-haired man in the back turned away and melted into the maze of hallways that the sporting complex housed. Wendy noticed, but turned her attention back to the water, as Minerva dangled an unconscious Lucy in the air outside of the water sphere. Gray and Natsu, for once not fighting each other, leapt out of the stands and toward Lucy as Minerva dropped her unceremoniously. Wendy followed quickly behind the two, salty tears threatening to completely obscure her vision. She worried that they wouldn’t be able to catch Lucy in time, but she also knew that Gray certainly wouldn’t let that happen. _He thinks of Lucy-nee as his sister too_ , she remembered. _Gray and Natsu would never let her fall._

A relieved breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding passed the lips of the small healer as her teammates caught Lucy’s limp form. Wendy pushed forward, summoning her courage and her professionalism as she rushed to begin first aide. The girl hated being stared at like this, gawked at by a crowd that didn’t seem to understand that her big sister had been tortured within an inch of her life. She and her guildmates carried Lucy out of the arena and towards the infirmary, hoping that Lucy would be able to bounce back like she always did.

Once Lucy was settled in a cot, Wendy set to work using her healing magic. Gray placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair gently, an unspoken gesture of confidence, before he and Natsu left the room and the rest of the guild tried to enter. Once everyone was assured that Lucy would recover, the guild members left slowly, until only Cana remained in the room. For once, Wendy couldn’t smell alcohol on the brunette, but she didn’t put much thought into that.


	2. She Likes Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana and Lucy do some talking, and realize some things about each other.

Cana took the seat next to Lucy’s cot while Wendy shuffled around the infirmary, making sure all the medical supplies were in their assigned locations. The blue-haired dragon slayer looked back at her two friends and gave them a small smile. “You can stay here if you want, Cana,” the girl started. “I’m going to let Porlyusica know how Lucy is, and if anything happens just call either one of us, okay?”

Cana nodded and returned the smile as Wendy turned away and walked quietly out of the room. The brunette closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her temple, noting the uncomfortable pressure behind her eyes. _Damn, I need a drink_ , she thought. And she would get a drink later. A strong drink. But not until Lucy was doing better. She could wait that long at least. 

Her fingertips brushed against the coarse blanket Lucy had been tucked underneath, then found the hand they had been searching for. After all of the stupid shenanigans they had been through, the public displays of not-giving-a-fuck, the hugs and holding on to each other, she barely had the courage to intertwine her fingers with Lucy’s. Suddenly this was so much different from any other time. Like the birth of a star that hadn’t yet found its place in the universe. 

Letting a sigh fall from her lips, Cana gathered her courage and took comfort in their joined hands, absently running her thumb along the back of Lucy’s hand, where her guild mark peeked out at the world. The motion was both so familiar and foreign at the same time, something inside her recognizing that this was her time to finally take a step on her own.

“Hey, Lu,” Cana smiled at the blonde, who was now resting peacefully, her face free from stress. Cana took another deep breath, fixing her gaze on the brown locks of hair that had fallen into her face. She made no move to brush them out of the way, only thinking of her next words.

“So, I’ve got this stupid embarrassing thing to say, you know. I know you’re resting, but if you’re listening Lu, just squeeze my hand, okay?”

In response, an airy breath left through Lucy’s nose, almost like a snort of laughter, and Cana felt the hold on her own hand returned. She flushed and gathered her own voice into a laugh. 

“Fuck, I guess if I don’t say it now, I never will.” Cana thought back to the last time she had actually been sober, and the memory gave her an idea of how to start.

“You remember when I showed up at your apartment and told you I was going to leave the guild if I didn’t make S-class? And you listened to me spill my guts for who knows how long before telling me you’d make me an S-class wizard? That was really important to me. More than I realized at first.” Cana trailed off, fighting the urge to run and get a keg to hold on to.

The voice that quietly replied to her shook her from her anxiety-induced craving for alcohol. “You’re such a softy, Cana,” Lucy muttered, her eyelids fluttering open to meet the matching pair of brown eyes above her.

“Hey!” Cana started, torn between diving down to hug the blonde and simply sticking her tongue out in defiance. Instead, she chose to keep talking, wishing she had a bottle in her other hand. “Look missy, I sobered up for the day. You should be grateful.” With her free hand, she poked Lucy in the nose and gave in to the urge to stick her tongue out, giggling at the idiocy of it all. All of these feelings, they bubbled up to the surface all at once, and it was impossible to control the rush she felt. 

“I am grateful,” Lucy replied, genuine in her choice of words. “But why did you sober up today? It’s not your style. Like feelings. Those aren’t really your style either.”

The brunette gave a smirk. “Ya got me, Luce. You’re way too smart for your own good,” she remarked, thinking of their time together on Tenrou Island, when Lucy had solved the riddle that Master had given everyone when the rest of them didn’t even realize it was a riddle at all. She really was something else when it came to intellectual things. Like Levy. 

More than anything, Cana wanted to avoid really answering why she had sworn off her alcoholic crutch for the day. But admitting the reason was necessary. More necessary than she had thought at first, but that in itself was what made things so terrifying.

“If I say what I want to say while I’m drunk, it really won’t mean anything,” she admitted, heaving a sigh as she looked down at her own hands. It was honestly funny, how most people were more vulnerable and more honest when drunk. She was the opposite. Drunk was her constant state now, and nothing important could be conveyed with the same sincerity while she was inebriated anymore. The warmth of ale on her tongue was her security blanket, and it allowed her shelter from her feelings, painful or not. When she wished to hide, which was all the time, she drowned even the smallest hint of serious emotion with a keg or five.

Lucy nodded, remembering the last time Cana had talked with her while sober. She understood how utterly constipated her friend was emotionally. “Okay,” she agreed, smiling at the woman she’d become so close to, admiring the angles of her face through the hair that had fallen in front of most of its features. “I don’t need any more explanation than that. I’m here.”

A flush worked its way across Cana’s brown cheeks, heating up the skin and causing a prickling feeling to run down her spine. Lucy had no idea the effect her kindness and warmth had. On her and everyone else she came into contact with. Swallowing a fit of nerves, Cana placed all her bets on the table and decided that she couldn’t just think about talking anymore. She needed to dive in and do it, fuck the consequences. She just couldn’t stand the idea of retreating into herself yet again and forcing herself to live with her secret feelings without hope of them being known or returned.

“Okay, look. You’re the reason I’m still a member of Fairy Tail,” she started, looking off to the side and avoiding eye contact with the other mage, who kept their hands connected. “Honestly, I’m a better person now than I used to be, before you joined.” Now that she’d begun her speech, she felt the words tumble out without thought or filter, spilling into the space between the women. “Fuck, okay, so what I’m saying is, what I’m trying to say is that you make me better and I admire everything about you and, god damn, I can’t stand being here pining after you and not being able to tell you that I’m in love with you!”

Silence took the place of her exclamation as soon as it passed her lips, and if Cana could feel any more exposed and embarrassed, she would. A gentle pressure on her left hand shook her from her self-pity, and she looked over at Lucy sheepishly. The blonde was just sitting there, holding her hand, _smiling_. Grinning from ear-to-ear. A shit-eating grin that said that she knew something that nobody else did. And it was mind-boggling how comforting that stupid smile was to the brunette card mage.

“Hey,” Lucy whispered, tentatively breaking the silence. “You are so special to me, don’t you already know that?” The celestial mage tilted her head back, taking in the sensation of their joined hands and the warmth between them. It was awkward, sure, but only because Cana didn’t share what she felt. Ever. Taking a breath, she leaned forward and took a peek at her companion’s face again, using her free hand to reach up and brush the hair out of Cana’s face. Cana stilled at the touch, hardly daring to breathe.

“You’re special to me,” Lucy repeated, tracing the line of the cheekbones she had always found beautiful and inviting. “And I’d be an idiot if I said I didn’t feel the same. I do. It’s okay.” With a contented breath, she tilted her head and placed a small, feathery kiss on Cana’s cheek, the brown skin tinted dark red.

Two pairs of brown eyes closed, and two foreheads pressed together, content in the realization that neither was facing rejection. Spun gold mixed with strands of brown hair, and neither mage noticed the blushes that dusted across their faces.

They sat like that for a couple of minutes, enjoying the calm quiet that had settled over the room, neither letting go of the other’s hand. Only the distant sounds of the occasional person walking past the infirmary let them know that they weren’t in their own personal world.

A knock sounded against the infirmary door, and Lucy sighed in resignation. “Come in,” she called out softly, relaxing when she noticed the dark blue hair and short stature of her favorite dragon slayer.

“Hey there, kiddo,” Cana said, smiling cheekily at Wendy like she usually did. Wendy returned the grin and when she thought Lucy wasn’t looking, she stuck her tongue out at Cana. A breath that sounded suspiciously like a snort passed through the brunette, and she once more felt at ease, even with the company. 

“I’m glad you’re awake now, Lucy-nee!” Wendy exclaimed, stepping forward to hug her friend. All three girls laughed at the affectionate greeting, and Lucy playfully ruffled the bluenette’s hair.

“So am I, Wendy,” Lucy agreed with a small nod. “So what’s up?”

Wendy pulled back from the embrace and stood up straight, like she did when she was working or if she had a request to make of someone else. “There’s somebody outside who wants to talk to you. But they’re not from Fairy Tail, so I wanted to ask if you were okay with them coming in for a small bit,” the healer explained, finishing her sentence with a squeak, as if she was expecting to be admonished for interrupting her charge’s rest. 

Lucy tried to think of who would want to speak to her, and no one came to mind. Except for Yukino, but she hadn’t seen the other celestial mage since the night she tried to give her keys away. The corners of her mouth turned down in a thoughtful gesture, then returned to their previous, smiling, state.

“If you think they’re okay, then I’m fine with that, Wendy,” she answered with finality, throwing a reassuring grin at the girl. 

Wendy shuffled back to the door and peeked around it to make sure her guest was still there. “You can come in,” she said quietly, opening the door enough to allow room for the person to enter. A deceptively quiet footfall was Lucy’s only other warning that a new person was in the infirmary, and when she looked up, she was taken aback when her brown eyes met one red eye and locks of tousled dark hair that obscured the other. 

One of Sabertooth’s Twin Dragons wanted to speak with her. The thought was so boggling to her mind, she almost couldn’t believe what her brain was telling her. And yet, there he was, a scowl gracing his face but not reaching the eye she could see. 

“Hello, Rogue,” Lucy offered, curiosity taking over any of the worry she had felt just a second before. 


End file.
